UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
office put out
a statement on
Sunday
noting that
"the
Government of
the Syrian
Arab Republic
affirmed
that it will
provide the
necessary
cooperation,
including the
observance of
the cessation
of hostilities
at the
locations
related
to the
incident."

But
did Ban ask
the Obama
administration
not to fire
missiles, at
last at
this time? Will
he?

On
US Sunday
morning talk
shows, CBS'
Margaret
Brennan noted
that
Jeffrey
Feltman, now
Ban's
political
chief but
until recently
the US
State
Department's
face in the
Middle East,
will be
heading to
Iran
after his
quiet, some
say craven,
trip to Egypt.
She implied
Feltman
could carry a
message from
the Obama
administration,
or about the
threatened
strikes, to
Tehran. But is
that the UN's
role?

(How Feltman's
post-Egypt itinerary,
including
Doha, was
announced not
by the UN but
to for example
the FARS News
Agency, State
Department
press and
columnists
remains a
question,
which will be
pursued by the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access.)